Congressional Budget Actions in 2006

Publication Date: October 2006

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

During the second session of the 109th Congress, the House and Senate will consider many different budgetary measures. Most of them will pertain to fiscal year (FY) 2007 and beyond, but some will make adjustments to the budget for FY2006. As the session progresses, this report will describe House and Senate actions on major budgetary legislation within the framework of the congressional budget process and other procedural requirements.

Congress typically begins its annual budget process once the President submits his budget for the upcoming fiscal year. On February 6, 2006, President George W. Bush submitted his FY2007 budget to Congress. President Bush, subsequently, has submitted five requests for supplemental appropriations for FY2006 and two budget amendments to his budget request for FY2007.

The congressional budget process provides for an annual concurrent resolution on the budget to serve as a framework for the consideration of budgetary legislation. The budget resolution sets forth aggregate spending and revenue levels, and spending levels by major functional area, for at least five fiscal years. Budget resolution policies are implemented through the enactment of reconciliation bills, revenue and debt-limit legislation, and appropriations and other spending measures. They are enforced by points of order that may be raised when legislation is pending on the House and Senate floor.

The Senate agreed to its version of the FY2007 budget resolution (S.Con.Res. 83) by a 51-49 vote on March 16; the House agreed to its version (H.Con.Res. 376) by a 218-210 vote in the early morning of May 18. When Congress began its Independence Day recess on June 29, the House and Senate had not resolved the legislative differences between the two versions. In the absence of an agreement on the FY2007 budget resolution, however, the House and Senate separately have adopted so-called deeming resolution provisions for budget enforcement purposes.

When FY2007 began on October 1, the House had passed 10, and the Senate had passed two, of the regular appropriations acts for FY2007. Two regular appropriations acts for FY2007 have been signed into law: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2007 (P.L. 109-289) and Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007 (P.L. 109-295). Congress and the President enacted a continuing appropriations resolution (Div. B of P.L. 109-289) to provide temporary appropriations through November 17, 2006, for agencies and programs funded in the remaining regular appropriations acts not yet enacted.

This report will be updated as actions occur during the session.